The distribution of illegal goods, their control and the people in Japan during the postwar reconstruction period

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K01617
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 07070:Economic history-related
• Research Institution: Dokkyo University
• Principal Investigator: YAMAMOTO YU 獨協大学, 経済学部, 教授 (10550113)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 前田 廉孝 慶應義塾大学, 文学部(三田), 准教授 (90708398)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 日本経済史 / 戦後復興期 / 闇市場 / 煙草 / 専売 / 山梨県 / 日本専売公社 / 大蔵省専売局

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project investigates commodity circulations in black markets, the crackdown on illicit trading, and the public recognition of the black markets after the Second World War in Japan. The black market, an illegal entity, was indispensable in supplying various goods during the late 1940s. However, few previous studies focus on the black market since traders merely saved their records. Accordingly, this project utilizes the original documents issued by the Kofu Monopoly Office in 1948, which enforced strict regulations on the tobacco black market, and local newspapers in Yamanashi Prefecture. These historical documents enable us to examine the distribution of black-market goods, the government’s regulations on illegal trade, and the public recognition of the black market. Finally, we find that the rural communities formed the subsistence circulation areas of black-market goods after the war.

Free Research Field

日本経済史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は，商品市場形成の過程と要因を捉え直す試みである。日本では戦時統制期から物資不足と流通不全によって闇市場が自然発生し，戦後復興期まで政府は取締に注力した。違法な闇取引の記録を取引の当事者は取締回避の目的から保存しない。それゆえに，既往の歴史研究は史料上の制約から闇市場の内実に迫ることができなかった。しかし，本研究が用いた取締史料は商品市場の拡大過程を克明に記録している。これら記録の分析より，商品市場の拡大過程は地域内で生産，加工，流通からなる分業構造の確立過程を内在していたことが判明した。こうした分業構造の確立は，域内の自給自足構造と商品市場の拡大に不可欠な要素であった。